CIA TRIES BOOK REVIEWING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200300054-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 54
• Content Type: NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

Approved For Release 2006/09/29 : E '13 88-01350R000200300054-2
CHIMP/TGN g ILL.
cotlRa Fg
WE ARE pleased that Harper
& Itow, the New York publishing
firm, has, in spite of strong ob-
jections from the Central
Intelligence Agency, 4(,'j; .
decided to publish
change a hook on narcotics
traffic in Southeast Asia.
The book, by Alfred W.
McCoy, is entitled, "The Politics
of Heroin in Southeast Asia." It
is highly critical of the CIA's
efforts to suppress opium pro-
duction and sni.u sling in South
Vietnam and surrounding coun-
tries.
In fact, All'. McCoy argues,
according to a Washington Post
report on the manuscript, that
"American diplomats and secret
a cuts have b_vn involved in the
na.re6tics iratiie at. three levels"
coincidcntal complicity by
allying with groups engaged in
drug trafficking; abetting traf-
ficking by covering up for
Southeast Asian traffickers; and
active engagement . "in the
transport of opium and
heroin."
le is unfortunate, however,
that Harper & l3ow officials
complied with a CIA demand
that it be allowed to review the
manuscript before publication.
The CIA verdict on the book
was that it would do a
"disservice" to the fight against
narcotics traffic in Southeast
Asia. A Harper & Row
spokesman said the CIA had
contended that it would "prove
beyond doubt" that Mr. McCoy's
facts were wrong. The
spokesman added, "They (the
t CIA) just didn't do it."
It is understandable that, as
the Harper & Row official put it,
`the industry has been very
cautious on things like this ever
since the Clifford Irving story.
broke." But there were other
ways the publisher could, have
`''verified the A'fcCoy research; it
ycould have, for exainpl.e, put one
of its own staff members on a
spot-check verification of some
of McCoy's primary sources.
The book, to he published Aug,
).7,.yv'ilt be important and much-
debated.
Also in'need of debate and
public clarification are the im-
li',ications for free and respoiisi-
hle speech raised when
put ]ishr~rs allow governmental
agencies particularly when
those agencies are criticized in
the publications "- to review and
comment on a manuscript
before it reaches the public.
?t=D.
Approved For Release 2006/09/29: CIA-RDP88-013508000200300054-2